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The all-in Flight Stakes 2025 odds on Michael Freedman‘s airborne filly Apocalyptic have firmed right into $2 following the Furious Stakes winner’s emphatic success in the Group 2 $300,000 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

The daughter of Extreme Choice broke her maiden status fresh at just her second start on September 6 with a narrow Furious Stakes victory, and she franked that form improving up over 1400m to put 1.68 lengths on her closest rival Artistic Venture in the Tea Rose Stakes results this year.

Showing her class and versatility, Apocalyptic sat three wide throughout but still proved too strong with Tommy Berry riding her to an impressive victory in the key lead-up to the Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) back at the track on October 4.

“I think she’s pretty special,” Freedman told Sky Thoroughbred Central after the win.

She chimed in 300m out from the line, winding up quickly to go past the front runners and break clear to storm home over the final 100m.

“We did say before the race that he was going to need a little bit of luck on his side to try and get some cover. Just the way the race mapped, it just looked a bit prickly,” Freedman added.

“But he (Berry) didn’t panic; he knew what he had underneath him. When I saw her come up the rise and she was still really travelling, I thought ‘if you go on and win this, you’re obviously well above’ (average).”

Artistic Venture flashed home late to run second, while Tupakara was third to complete the trifecta.

She joined Tiz Invincible (2023) as the latest fillies to complete the Furious Stakes – Tea Rose Stakes double and now looks right on track to step up to a mile for the Flight Stakes on Epsom Handicap Day.

“I think the really encouraging thing today is, despite not having any cover, she did relax a bit better than she did the other day over the 1200m. She certainly finished off today like a filly that should relish the mile,” Freedman said of his filly’s upcoming Group 1 bid.

“So, I think if she can keep learning, what’s that a third career start? If she can learn a bit from today and come out and get a slightly softer run over the mile, it’s exciting times.”

Berry was also full of post-race praise for the winner with high expectations she’ll be hard to beat in the Flight Stakes.

“We’ve had a big rap on her for a long time and it’s I’ve had raps on horses before and it doesn’t, you know, come to fruition, which today it has,” he said.

“A mile is right up her alley, we’ve always thought she’ll get better the further she goes.”

The Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double was most recently achieved by Zougotcha (2022) and Apocalyptic is now firm favourite to be the next having firmed from $4.50 to $2 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

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